Justin Turner hit a two-run home run that was the difference for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants, but Kiké Hernandez was very much a key factor in the series opener.
Hernandez entered a career .444 batter with a 1.376 on-base plus slugging percentage against Madison Bumgarner. All Hernandez did when facing him Friday night was go 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Hernandez’s single in the fifth inning set the table for Turner.
Prior to that, Hernandez led off the third with a base hit and later scored the tying run on Manny Machado’s RBI single. Bumgarner, who specifically asked that his final start of the season come against the Dodgers, allowed three runs over six innings.
He was bested by Hyun-Jin Ryu, who turned in another stellar outing with the pressure on. He worked a 1-2-3 inning but surrendered a leadoff home run to Nick Hundley in the second inning.
That was followed by back-to-back walks, but Ryu limited the damage by getting out of the inning on a double play and fly out. Trouble arose again in the fourth when David Freese inexplicably dropped a throw at first base.
The leadoff man reaching was later followed by consecutive singles to load the bases. Ryu again turned the Giants away by inducing a double play. He allowed just the one run and four hits, and despite only throwing 85 pitches, was removed from the game after six innings.
The curious decision immediately backfired, as Scott Alexander was removed after issuing a leadoff walk. Pedro Baez then allowed a base hit before striking out the next two batters faced. He then gave way to Alex Wood who got Chase d’Arnaud swinging.
Kenta Maeda wiped out a base hit with a double play to end the eighth, and Kenley Jansen worked around a hit batter in the ninth inning to convert his 38th save.
With the win, the Dodgers lowered their magic number for a berth in the National League Wild Card Game to one. They also kept the pressure on the Colorado Rockies, who secured a trip to the postseason but not the NL West just yet.
